Gourmet Xpress Progressive and Coverley Medical Centre Deacons are showing they could be the main contenders for the Goddard Enterprises Limited senior volleyball knockout crown in the absence of double crown kings Chargers.
When the action continued on Sunday night, the two most successful teams in the island battled to five close sets in what might have been a preview of the finals. Deacons eventually won 25-17, 25-18, 17-25, 21-25, 15-12, in one of the longest matches since the season started a fortnight ago.
The brutal attack of outsides Sheldon Roach and Kyle Browne, as well as middle players Klode Thompson and Shaquille Barker had given Deacons an early two-set advantage against Progressive, who had turned up with just six players and a libero.
However, a great counter from veteran national player Fabian Cox, Akeem Payne, Chioke Payne and Mario Richards stopped Deacons from taking the match in straight sets, when it appeared an easy win was on the cards.
But this wasn’t all about Progressive’s good play after going down early. Deacons’ strategy on the night could also come under heavy criticism, as they also contributed towards the match going into overtime by deciding to let Barbados reserve setter Ronald Rice and young Ahkeem Mayers alternate as setters/spikers.
Rankled by that disrespect, Cox and company took the third and fourth set before Deacons reverted to their big six, and re-took control of the encounter. Powerful spiked serves from Browne led Deacons to 4-0 in the decider, and he followed up with an ace after a time-out was called by Progressive.
Deacons switched court with an 8-4 advantage, following a kill from Roach. Progressive then fought back, locking the scores at nine with a block on Browne, and an attacking error from Andriy Stapleton saw Progressive actually taking the lead at 10-9.
A meltdown on offence then handed Deacons the game, as Cox opted to tap the ball at 10-11 and then hit the recovered play into the antenna before he was blocked next play, as Deacons moved to 13-10, sniffing victory in the process. A kill from Browne moved Deacons to 14-11 and after Progressive earned one more point Stapleton burned the court to end the contest.
Earlier in the night, Stapleton, in his first tour of duty, could not fire up his Juniors as they fell to Cawmere 20-25, 25-20, 19-25, 21-25.
Defending women’s champions Flow Sentry Brokers Deacons were undone by the play of Shari Matthews and the Rockets’ group of young players to lose in straight sets, 17-25, 21-25, 23-25.
After losing their first set, former queens Toners thumped Carlton 22-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-17. (KB)
